Bear Grylls is the larger-than-life adventurer who, this week, hit the headlines in the UK for an hour-long documentary he made about a visit to war-torn Ukraine where he met the president as well as ordinary Ukrainian men and women living under the daily threat of Russian bombardment.

The documentary was widely praised as is a new initiative Grylls has inspired: “Never Give Up” badges for scouts.

In the TV programme, which aired on Tuesday (28 March), Grylls, who is chief ambassador of World Scouting, is seen giving one of the badges to a young Ukrainian boy.

Encountering the boy, who was a member of the Ukrainian equivalent of the scouts, Grylls told him: “It’s always an honour for me to meet a fellow scout.”

The youngster, watched by his mother at their home in Kiev, was clearly delighted to receive the badge which can be awarded to any young person or adult volunteer in the Scouts who’s “shown resilience, tenacity and courage” – in other words, that ‘never give up’ spirit.

The Never Give Up cloth badge, pin and neckerchief can be awarded at the discretion of a local volunteer as an encouragement or ‘well done’ to any Scout or volunteer who’s struggling with something, persevering, or making a particularly strong effort.

A spokesman for the Scout Association said, “It’s a non-uniform badge, there are no specific requirements, and these are separate from Scouts’ existing awards, which remain as important as ever.”

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Grylls has suggested that the badges should be given at a special moment – perhaps at the end of the Scout term, the last night of a camp or after a challenge has been completed.

He said: “I’m super proud to launch our Never Give Up badge. This stands for resilience, keeping going, determination, grit. Never give up.”

Grylls himself was the UK’s youngest ever Chief Scout when he was appointed in 2009, aged 34. In 2018, he took on the additional role as the first ever Chief Ambassador of World Scouting responsible for promoting the value of being a Scout to a global audience. The World Scout Organization represents a global family of some 50 million Scouts.

Today, Grylls remains the public face of the Scouts in the UK. Inspiring the movement through a period of unprecedented growth, he’s helped thousands of young people to gain new skills, try new things, and look to the future with optimism – just like Gylls hopes the young Ukrainian boy he filmed might do.

Grylls, also Honorary Colonel to the Royal Marines Commandos, first came into the public eye by setting a new record for being the youngest person to climb Everest. Outside of his role within the Scouts, he’s known across the world for his work as a globe-trotting adventurer, television host, and bestselling author.

He said: “When I became Chief Scout in 2009, it was one of the proudest moments of my life. With every passing day since, I’ve become even more inspired by the dedication of our leaders and volunteers, who tirelessly prepare young people with skills for life.

“Together, we have grown our movement, given young people the voice they deserve and welcomed so many new communities to the Scouts.

“It’s all about delivering chances to young people where they are needed most. My goal remains the same: to encourage and stand up for young people in all they do.”

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